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The Metrolpolitan Police force has confirmed it will investigate Google following the search engine's recent admission it had mistakenly collected data from unsecured Wi-Fi networks for the past three years.

The ICO said while it was aware of the issue, it would only investigate if it finds "evidence of significant wrongdoing".

Google's error came to light after the German data protection authority audited the Wi-Fi data collected by Street View cars for use in location-based products such as Google Maps for mobile.

The authority revealed that as well as collecting SSID information (the network's name) and MAC addresses (the number given to Wi-Fi devices such as a router), Google had also been collecting payload data such as emails or web page content being viewed.

"We are pleased that the police have taken up this complaint for investigation. An evidence based approach to this complex matter is sorely needed now," said Davies.

"We hope that this difficult process will give Google pause for thought about how it conducts itself. Perhaps in future the company will rely less on PR spin and more on good governance and reliable product oversight."